The Duster was first unveiled with turbo petrol engines but a strong hybrid was also promised. On October 17, Renault will launch their Duster hybrid in India.
The Duster hybrid will have a 1.8l petrol engine and two electric motors plus with a 1.4kwh battery pack. The total output is around 160bhp while the real figure to know would be the 1000km range per full tank.
The Duster hybrid will also run in electric mode most of the time in city and that will increase the fuel efficiency. Speaking of which, the new Duster is expected to have an official fuel consumption of around 25kmpl and in the real world it could deliver atleast 20 kmpl.
Hence, compared to other hybrids, the Duster will have a larger battery and could deliver more efficiency.
Renault Duster Hybrid: Expected Price And Competition
The big question is the price which remains an important point and Renault cannot price it higher than the Hyryder or even too much from the Duster turbo petrol.
The top-end Duster is under Rs 19 lakh while we expect the Duster hybrid to be around 18-21 lakh given the Hyryder is also priced alongside in hybrid form.
While the tech promises more efficiency, the price is important as too expensive will limit buyers.
Strong hybrid tech does promise a lot and will replace diesels but for now, the pricing and eventual localisation is key for greater hybrid adoption.
We will know the pricing on October 17 and while the initial batch of cars seems to be pre booked, Renault will ensure adequate supply as well to meet the demand.
The Duster hybrid has a lot of hype and all would be revealed on october 17th.
The car will compete with the Toyota Hyryder hybrid, Maruti Victoris and the Maruti Grand Vitara as well which have a strong hybrid powertrain.